The Photograph
Please enjoy this little one-shot of how Harry had his first family photo taken. Takes place the night before the Quidditch World Cup. Inspired by the cover art for the story, which I had quite the time trying to track. I believe the artist to be someone named ullakko, whose DeviantArt page seems to no longer exist. In any case, I'm grateful for the artwork, because it was quite inspiring. Enjoy!
The Burrow was home to the best family Harry Potter knew. Being there was better than anywhere else besides Hogwarts, in his opinion. It was especially wonderful being there with all the Weasleys, including the two eldest brothers, Bill and Charlie, as well as his best friend Hermione Granger. He couldn't help but feel as though this was where he truly belonged.
"Dinner's almost done," said Mrs. Weasley as she set down yet another dish of food, the delicious smells wafting free and making Harry's mouth water. "Now, we just need to make sure we get that family photo before we eat. Arthur, where's the camera?"
Harry could barely hear Mr. Weasley's reply from his shed where he kept all the Muggle items he had collected over the years. "Mum, we just had a photo taken last summer," said Ron in annoyance.
"Yes, but this is different, Ron," said Mrs. Weasley crisply. "We're all here at home, and you know that doesn't happen nearly often enough. Besides, you'll be off the World Cup tomorrow, so better get it done now than later, I say." She headed back for the kitchen, taking off her apron as she did so.
"Does your mum like taking family photos?" Harry asked Ron.
"Yeah," sighed Ron. "Bit annoying, really, but less painful to just get it over with so she can sob over her happy memories later on when we're all old and grey."
Harry chuckled as Mr. Weasley emerged from his shed, clutching an old camera and a stand. "Now then, where shall I set it up?" he asked as his wife emerged from the house, her worn brown hat now placed on her head.
"I was thinking by the drive so we can have the evening sky behind us," said Mrs. Weasley, readjusting her hat and conjuring a chair for herself. "Let's see, the tallest in the back, I should think, so that's Arthur, Bill, and Ron — where's Percy? Percy! Ah, there are you dear, let's have you up front with Fred and George…"
Harry watched as Mrs. Weasley bustled about, positioning Bill and Ron next to each other with space behind her chair for Mr. Weasley to stand in. "I'll stand by Ron," offered Charlie.
"Ginny, let's have you sit on a stool about, say… right here…"
Harry kept his distance, watching the proceedings with Hermione. "Are family photos usually like this?" he asked her quietly.
"It's just me and my parents, so it's quite calm for us," she whispered back with a soft smile.
"Let's see," Mrs. Weasley's voice floated over to them as the twins bickered with Ron, "something's missing… oh, of course!"
To Harry's surprise, Mrs. Weasley marched over to him and Hermione and took Hermione by the wrist. "Hermione, you can sit on my right side, and Harry, we'll put you on my left between me and Ginny. Come along, now!"
Hermione followed without protest, but Harry remained stock-still, uncertain if he had heard correctly. Mrs. Weasley wanted him in her family's photograph?
"Come on Harry, you're holding up dinner!" shouted Ron. "Let's get this over with, yeah?"
Harry opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to figure out what to even say to this. "I — I'm not a part of your family," he finally stammered out as Hermione settled down next to Mrs. Weasley's chair.
"Nonsense, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, walking back over to him with a warm smile. "It's normal for families to take photos of important moments in their lives, and I hardly see why that shouldn't include yourself or Hermione." She placed a hand carefully on his shoulder. "Don't your relatives take photos of happy moments in their lives?" she asked him.
Harry dropped his gaze. Yes, the Dursley family was always happy to take photos of moments they wanted to cherish, such as Dudley learning to ride a bike, Dudley playing computer games with his father, Dudley getting hugged and kissed by his mother…
How could Harry admit that he'd never once had a photograph taken until the summer before his second year when that fraud Gilderoy Lockhart had insisted on a photo for the Daily Prophet? That the only other photographs of him that existed were ones taken by Colin Creevy, a fellow Gryffindor in Ginny's year? He felt his face growing warm in embarrassment even though he had yet to say a word.
"Harry?" prompted Mrs. Weasley softly.
"Not with me," he finally muttered in answer, feeling his face flush even more. The hand Mrs. Weasley had placed on his shoulder tightened almost convulsively, and Harry fought the urge to bolt.
After a moment, Mrs. Weasley spoke again in a voice that wavered slightly. "Well, we'll just have to fix that, won't we?" Her free hand reached out and lifted Harry's chin, and he saw her eyes shining with unshed tears even as she smiled kindly at him.
Tentatively, he smiled back.
"That's it," Mrs. Weasley said, and she guided him over to the group as Mr. Weasley finished up with getting the camera set up correctly. Fred and George were teasing Percy about cauldron bottoms as Ginny grinned down at them. She looked up, caught Harry's eye, and shot him a bright smile that he couldn't help but return.
"All right, boys, settle down," said Mrs. Weasley as she had Harry kneel down to the left of her chair and just in front of the stool Ginny was sitting on. Hermione leaned forward and caught his eye.
"Are you okay?" she mouthed, and Harry nodded back at her.
"Hurry up," Ron moaned, "I'm starving!"
"And that should be the camera all set up now," said Mr. Weasley brightly, pulling out his wand and waving it at it. He hurried over to stand behind Mrs. Weasley and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Everyone look at the camera!" he called out to them all.
Harry caught sight of Bill throwing his arms around his father and Ron before he turned to face the camera. Mr. Weasley waved his wand and started counting down from ten.
"Hang on!" shouted Fred, pulling something from his pocket and slapping it on Percy's chest. "We need a callback to Percy's Hogwarts days!"
"How did you —? Bighead Boy?"
George burst out laughing along with Fred, who fell over as he pointed at the badge. "... two, one!" called Mr. Weasley.
With a flash, the camera went off.
"Finally!" said Ron. "Please say we can eat now!"
"We really ought to try for one more, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley, but all seven of her children groaned and protested.
"I'm sure it'll look wonderful, Mum," said Bill as Ron ducked out from under his arm and shot off for the table.
"Is it always like this?" Harry asked Ginny as he got to his feet.
She grinned and nodded. "Mum practically never remembers that Fred and George shouldn't be next to Percy," she told him. "They nearly always pull out a last-minute prank on him."
Percy had his wand out, clearly intent on fixing his old Head Boy badge as he slowly made his way to the table, the twins all but bouncing past him in glee.
"They really shouldn't do that," said Hermione, but Ginny snorted.
"How else are we ever going to get Percy to loosen up?"
Hermione raised her eyebrows. "Has it worked yet?" she asked innocently.
"Not yet," laughed Ginny as they neared the table, "but I don't see them giving up on their mission that easily, do you?"
Harry settled down between Ron and Hermione at the table, mind back on the photograph. Was this what it was like to be a part of a family?
The photograph wasn't developed by the time Harry and the others returned to Hogwarts, and he had all but forgotten about it by the summer after his fifth year at Hogwarts when he spotted it on the mantelpiece in the Burrow's living room.
"You never got to see it, did you?" said Ginny from his right as he moved closer to it.
Harry shook his head, taking in the smiling faces, the way Fred keeled over in laughter as Percy slouched with a grimace about the badge pinned to his chest, the wide smile on Bill's face, and the way Ginny's gaze drifted down to where Harry knelt, his younger face breaking into a smile. He recognized the amazement and disbelief in his expression that this was happening at all.
"Mum told me what you said to her before the photo was taken," said Ginny quietly, placing a hand on his arm.
Strangely, this did not bother Harry like it would have had Ron or Hermione said the same thing. He shrugged. "It's fine," he said. "I never would've wanted to be in the same photo as Dudley, anyway."
There was a pause. "They don't treat you well, do they?"
Harry looked down at Ginny. "They mostly ignore me," he said, still strangely unbothered. He turned his gaze back at the photograph. "This is what I pictured family to be like, anyway," he said, gesturing to it.
He felt, rather than saw, Ginny nod. "I'm glad you're here, Harry," she said quietly before slipping away. Harry caught a whiff of something flowery and pleasant as she left him alone and smiled to himself.
He was glad to be here, too. There was nowhere better than the Burrow and the family that lived there, and he counted himself lucky for having found a place within their number.